The bow and arrow, a weapon that was originally made from bent wood held in tension by a string, was, as a product of the prehistoric age, simple to operate. Bows permitted hunting from a greater distance with greater accuracy and offered an alternative to short range encounters. As technology advanced, so did bows and arrows, with bows incorporating materials of the time in their progression, such as bronze or iron. Eventually, permutations of the bow design began to develop, including composite bows, longbows, crossbows, and compound bows. From ancient times to the Middle Ages, the bow was used as a primary military or hunting weapon. Now the bow has become more recreational in its use, such as when archery became an official Olympic sport.
Compound bows, in particular, have risen to prominence due to their use of cables and pulleys that make the bow easier to draw. Some versions of these bows use a two-pulley design while others use a pulley/cam system. These systems bend the limbs of the bow to aid a person when drawing an arrow while using a compound bow. There are a variety of cams that may be used, including, but not limited to, single, hybrid, binary, and twin cams. Each cam varies in terms of comfort, tuneability, quietness, draw length, let-off weight, and accuracy.
Cams have certain shortcomings that either inhibit a user from fully enjoying their compound bow or prevent them from unlocking its true potential. For example, cams have inconsistent energy requirements for drawing back the string, with uneven load distribution for drawing and releasing. Cams are typically loud and do not allow dry fire. There are also form factor issues that inhibit the portability of a compound bow.
Another problem with compound bows that has become increasingly controversial is the potential for cruelty to the hunted animals. Animals are particularly sensitive to sound, and the noise from firing a compound or cross bow often causes the animal to move more quickly than an arrow can reach it. Accordingly, the arrow may severely wound the animal and prolong suffering, sometimes even allowing the wounded animal to flee in pain. The compound bow also requires the archer to use significant power to draw back a bow that has the capability of fatally striking an animal. Many people often utilize a compound bow far below that necessary power, and the arrows again simply wound the animal, which may unnecessarily prolong their suffering or allow an injured animal to limp away.